Who Will You Believe: Pope Francis or the Bible?

Here's a cartoon of how tragic the afterlife for Roman Catholics would be when they realize that they needed a real, personal relationship with Christ to enter into Heaven. As I grew up as a Roman Catholic I didn't really care about the Bible. I even hear some Roman Catholics are told to never read the Bible for themselves because not everyone should be allowed to read it. The priest often says that reading the Bible alone will confuse you so you need their extrabiblical doctrine. Worse, they are confusing Sola Scriptura with Solo Scriptura. Born again Christians have their tradition but it's dictated by the Bible as a guiding principle to one's lifestyle. It's not that they read only the Bible but rather they have the Bible as their only principle for Christian tradition.

What is this personal relationship? As much as some pastors feel like the term personal Lord and Savior can be dangerous or "personal Savior" may suggest that Jesus is a genie than Lord but they emphasize that there's this loving personal relationship. You don't get this personal relationship through baptism or through infant baptism. Instead, it's all about receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This relationship is not just that Jesus is one's personal Savior but also one's personal Lord and that the Christian is Jesus' personal servant. Jesus stressed the need for a real personal relationship with Him and not a superficial Judas Iscariot relationship with Him to enter into Heaven.

We see the need for a personal relationship is indeed emphasized by Jesus. The proof of the personal relationship is a lifestyle of obedience and conformance to Christ's will. If you want to get into Heaven you must get into a personal relationship with Jesus.

John 8:47

He that is of God heareth God's words... ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

John 10:26-28But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The saved have a true personal relationship with Jesus. If you noticed those verses there's the need for a personal relationship. Born again Christians don't believe you can have a personal relationship and that's it you can live the way you want. Instead, born again Christians insist that if you really do have a personal relationship with Jesus and that if you are truly once saved, always saved then there's going to be the characteristic of obedience.

John 15:4

Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

If the Pope and his Pharisees should claim that they are his successors then why is Pope Francis emphasizing that a personal relationship with Jesus isn't needed for salvation ? If he claims to be the successor of Peter then he should consider that Peter had a close intimate relationship with Jesus. He should read how often Jesus showed concern for Peter. In John 21:15-27 says the following:

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep.

Jesus was showing a deep, personal relationship with Peter. He knew Peter repented of denying Him three times. He wanted to show to Peter that their relationship wasn't severed. Peter had a direct personal relationship with Jesus but nowhere do we read all must pass through Peter before they can even have a personal relationship with Jesus. Peter preached how one can have a personal relationship with Jesus but never required anyone to pass through Him. Pope Francis claims to be Peter's current successor yet falls flat when he said that a personal relationship with Jesus isn't needed.

That's why the Roman Catholic institution has been rejecting Sola Scriptura. It's all because they only care about their traditions than God's Word. It's ironic how they throw Mark 7:8-13 to justify their own traditions and say their traditions are from the Bible. They quote verses but they are incredibly out of context. While earthly authority is needed but it's to enforce God's Word and preach it and help people understand it. But what isn't authorized to earthly authorities in the Church is to override the Bible with their traditions saying it's not enough to follow the Bible for church governance.